ALL USERS
Note 1 Pressing the TAB key for autocompletion only works if you are defining root or have defined root.
Note 2 Spelling of grub commands can be checked by just pressing TAB at the prompt with nothing else like this.
Note 3 GREEN text is the screen shots.....you either press enter at the end of the line showing grub> ....or press the TAB key to autocomplete.

M7 if you have booted, when you get back into linux amend your /boot/grub/menu.lst file to reflect the new changes.
################end of M series for normal users

M8 MS ON NON-FIRST PARTITION FIRST DRIVES START HERE
You are here only if MS is not on first drive first partition.

To boot first drive but NOT first partition jump to M11
Otherwise you are booting a second or third drive please continue
To recap you attempted to find partition info and did thisgrub> root (hd PRESS TAB to get responses eg hd0
hd1

The main howto explains that MS is now tricked. Now go to M4
###########end of MS stuff########################################

B LINUX TROUBLESHOOTING

L1 OUR GOAL IS TO BOOT SOMETHING LIKE THIS

The sequence to test is
root (hdX,Y)
kernel {/boot}/vmlinux (or bzImage or kernel ) WITH KERNEL PARAMETERS
initrd {/boot}/initrd.img OR NO INITRD LINE

L2 TESTING THE ROOT COMMAND
root (hdX,Y) defines a search path for grub to find the next command files.
IT MUST define either the /boot partition or the / partition as /boot is a sub-folder to /

BUT on the kernel line we may need the structure /boot/ etc or WITHOUT /boot
so to kill 2 birds with one stone we try thisgrub> find /boot/bzImage
Error 15: File not found
grub> find /boot/kernel
Error 15: File not found
grub> find /boot/vmlinuz
Error 15: File not found
grub> find /bzImage
Error 15: File not found
grub> find /kernel
Error 15: File not found
grub> find /vmlinuz
(hd0,1)

I know what my structure is but by doing all permutations you get the idea.
We all know now that the kernel is called vmlinuz and its on (hd0,1) AND no /boot to be used as a part of the kernel command.

To be blunt you either have /boot as a separate partition, IMHO the best way OR
its on the main / as is therefore a subfolder to /.

If you already know that....then if you have /boot partition you drop the /boot from your command.....otherwise you leave them in.

L3 TEST KERNEL LINE root=/dev
our sequence so far is root (hd0,1) and the first part of kernel we already know is
kernel /vmlinuz and not /boot/vmlinuz.

How do we find the root=/dev/sdX or hdX parameter? 2 ways
WAY 1
The /etc/fstab file sits on / partition so find it
grub> find /etc/fstab # typed long hand
(hd0,2)

WAY 2
If you have more than one linux it may get multiple responses. In which case you may need to print to screen each response like this
For each response change the root command ....for searching and then issue the cat command grub> root (hd0,2)
Filesystem type is reiserfs, partition type 0x83

grub> cat /etc/f AND PRESS THE TAB KEY to autocomplete so that you get the full line grub> cat /etc/fstab
Possible files are: fstab fstab~

Response shows that for kernel-2.6.8.1-10 it has an initrd
but kernel-2.6.9 there is no initrd.

so our sequence to boot the 2.6.8 series so far is
root (hd0,1)
kernel /vmlinuz root=/dev/sda3 WITH KERNEL PARAMETERS
initrd /initrd.img

But for 2.6.9 series its
root (hd0,1)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.9 root=/dev/sda3 WITH KERNEL PARAMETERS

WHAT NEXT
At some point you must issue commands to either get into MS or Linux.
If they work write them down. Then boot into linux and with root access powers edit the /boot/grub/menu.lst file to exactly those commands but add a title line so you can choose it later. Read the rest of the howto on other stuff if you like.

SPLASHIMAGE FAILS
Check that the command is available to use if at mbr menu
press TAB to see all commands

b) if system has booted try su then grub then tab

then check the pathway in your menu file is correct
then check with a graphics program.....the image is viewable and correct graphic size as per myhowto.

Note, I prefer you have no fancy stuff......use the bootloader to get to your fancy stuff and keep the bootloader as simple as possible.